A talk given at the Edinburgh University IT Futures meeting in late 2009. The talk discusses the potential of and issues with Google Wave as a tool for research.

1. Google Wave
Ripple or Tsunami?
http://ww.flickr.com/photos/quaelin/3574598412 CC-BY-NC-SA

2. http://ww.flickr.com/photos/quaelin/3574598412 CC-BY-NC-SA

3. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/28/google-wave-drips-with-ambition-can-it-fulfill-googles-grand-web-vision/

5. http://gigaom.com/2009/05/28/google-climbs-to-new-heights-of-arrogance-with-wave/
http://scobleizer.com/2009/10/01/google-wave-crashes-on-beach-of-overhype/

6. http://easiertounderstandthanwave.com/

7. http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2009/08/gartner-hype-cycle-version-20.html

8. Searches for “google wave”

9. Big invite rollout
“Public” preview
Google IO launch

10. What is Wave?

11. Automation Native to
and connection the web
Real time
communication

12. Gadgets
Automation Native to
and connection the web
R ob ots
Real time
communication

13. Gadgets
Automation Native to
and connection the web
R ob ots
Real time
communication
rat ion
C oll abo

14. Demo

15. Is it useful for research?

16. What are our needs?

17. Formal communication...
http://flickr.com/photos/nicmcphee/2756494307/

18. Dead. Broken. Disconnected.

19. The web...

20. The web...
...scales

21. Average Capacity of Human Researcher
5.00
3.75
2.50
1.25
0
1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006

22. Our record is not wired up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tessawatson/427108549

23. Why not?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattymatt/3017263513

24. Researchers are busy here...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/3654538029

25. ...and not interested in this

26. Capture first...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furtwangl/3851841424

27. Dionaea muscipula Musca domestica
chomped on
...then add structure

28. Tools for capturing...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandawan/3950755957

29. Tools to connect objects up

30. Demo

31. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24801682@N08/4117012787

32. The potential

33. Natural user interaction
Easy user interaction with
web services and databases
Per user, per experiment, per
group storage of information

34. Problems...

35. The client.
User understanding.

36. Conclusions?

37. Watch...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66164549@N00/1517171173 CC-BY-SA

38. ...don’t (necessarily) jump...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/3827673841

39. ...unless you like this kind of thing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nov03/4087845032

40. ...in which case have some fun!

41. Gadgets
Automation Native to
and connection the web
R ob ots
Real time
communication
rat ion
C oll abo

42. Cameron.Neylon@stfc.ac.uk
http://blog.openwetware.org/scienceintheopen
http://slideshare.net/cameronneylon
Twitter: @cameronneylon
Friendfeed: cameronneylon
Wave: cameronneylon@googlewave.com
Thanks to:
Sciencetwists, Friendfeeders, and the wider online
community for ideas, criticism, and conversations.
Deepak Singh, Larry Lessig, Andy Powell, and
John Wilbanks for presentation inspiration.
Flickr (and in particular @andypowe11) for images